A new machine

This is what I was working on when my sewing machine died--toss pillows for the guest room bed. The room is now painted and cleaned out but I'm still working on the details.

This is an upcycled vase for the guest room. I found it at a thrift store, classic in earth tones but with a chip that I'm sure is what landed it in someone's donation pile. I painted it, using a contrasting color for the raised pattern. I'm not much of a painter, but I don't think this kind of project requires a look of perfection. Now it matches the colors I'm trying to tie together in the scheme for this room. I clear-coated it in Triple Thick Gloss Glaze to make it shiny. This stuff is kind of addictive. The first time I'd used it was on our eggs. It brushes on so beautifully and it dries hard and it seems to be durable. It's much thicker and less messy than spray versions I've used in the past. Any kid art project (or goofy vase paint job) will look more professional with a coat of gloss-glaze, right?

Last but not least, I've moved on the sewing machine issue. I did two days of obsessive internet research and decided that I actually needed to replace my broken machine with two inexpensive machines.  Buying a new machine that would sew over thick materials and provide lots of stitch options was cost-prohibitive, but I got the best of both worlds with much less expense. I ordered an inexpensive computerized machine that does lots of decorative stitches and a vintage machine from eBay that offers few options but will sew over anything. The two machines together cost less than one really good machine, and if one of them meets a terrible Worth-related accident (or any other malfunction) it won't leave me without a machine at all.

The eBay dealer who listed the vintage machine actually posted video of this sewing machine stitching over crushed aluminum cans. Wow! I'm not sure I'll use it for that (ha ha), but hopefully this machine's decades of stalwart performance won't be destroyed by a project like pillows with thick cording, which I suspect is what did in my last machine. The vintage machine should arrive today; the computerized machine came in earlier in the week. It's...computerized. Sewing with it feels like driving an automatic when you are used to a manual transmission. Some bond between the operator and the machine is missing. Hopefully I'll learn to like it better. The stitches, at least, are nice. It has many more options than I've had before. I tried it out (above) by stitching this little vine pattern onto a plain white drawstring bag that new sheets came in.